Bedside Adventures
by trimens
Summary: "I can't stay in this bed!" Shizuku's voice rose an octave with panic, her eyes suddenly falling on Yamaken as he entered the room. "I need to get to that trip!" She shouted, tossing off the blanket. Yamaken frowned, and pushed her back down into the hospital bed. "No. Not while I'm here. Doctor's orders." Shizuku flailed, but he got a tighter grasp. "I'm in charge now."
1. Winter Air

Chapter 1—Winter Air

She was writing unusually slower than usual.

He couldn't help but snatch a glimpse of the bead of sweat that rolled down the side of her face, lining her hairline as it neared her jaw. She absentmindedly wiped it away before switching her hard, focused eyes back onto the sheet of paper in front of her. Even if he had been completely turned to face her, the girl probably wouldn't notice any significant change. The only thing she cared about—and most likely will ever care about—was her studies and grades. It was normal, for someone like her: a study bug.

Yamaken quietly sighed and glanced back at the whiteboard at the front of the room. An array of formulas and equations had been written neatly for everyone to copy. His eyes drifted down, his fingers twirling a mechanical pencil while he waited for her to finish copying the notes. Usually, Shizuku would have been the first out of the two to finish copying. Then she would switch to the textbook to mark down points and questions for herself.

Glancing at her sheet, he also realized that her penmanship had subsided into chicken scratch as the class drew closer to an end. He could still make out her writing, but it wasn't nearly as crisp as it usually was. Sliding his paper to her side, he made a few dashes with his pen beneath a formula she had copied down incorrectly.

"Ah, thank you," she mumbled, her eyes switching back and forth between their two papers frantically.

Wordlessly, Yamaken nodded his head and repressed a sigh. He propped up his elbow onto the desk, resting his chin on his palm before glancing away tiredly. He didn't enjoy being in the cram class, and in the end, it wasn't even necessary to be there. At Kamei Academy, he possessed one of the highest averages in his grade. However, he had the money and time and if, by chance, it would give him more time with Study Bug, he would take it. After all, there was no one like Haru or her overly clingy friend to intervene their time spent alone together.

Unfortunately, to every brilliant plan, a fault was born. Although Yamaken had spent so much time with Shizuku during the course, it had been revealed to him that she barely saw him as an actual _man_. He was just a classmate who she could share academic resources with, or an interest in school. Despite the fact he rarely enjoyed talking about homework and assignments, he did so for her. After all, it seemed like every other conversation the two shared would evolve into a topic about her and Haru, which Yamaken wasn't too particularly fond about.

Eventually, after another grueling lecture, class had finally been dismissed. People steadily rose to their feet and began packing their bags, rushing out to hurry home for some rest and relaxation. Yamaken began to tidy up his own area as well, albeit much less eagerly to be heading out into the chilled evening air. Despite the fact he was reluctant to admit it, he predicted another two hours of wandering around aimlessly in thickets and forests until he found his escort.

As he pondered such trivial things, the sudden sound of various pencils and pens dropping broke Yamaken out of his thoughts. His eyes widened when he had realized that it came from just behind him. His eyes wandered down to Shizuku's frozen arm, her fingers outstretched as though she had still been holding onto her pencil case. All of her belongings were scattered across the floor, beneath their desks, and in the level below them.

"How troublesome," she muttered, lowering herself to the ground as she began to collect the scattered items.

Yamaken arched a brow, his lips pinched with an unsettled feeling. This was not like Shizuku to go dropping her things everywhere—she was much more agile than that. Regardless of her strange behaviour, he swept up a few pens from beneath his seat and placed them on her side of the table before reaching down to the row in front of them to snatch her eraser. Rising to his feet, he watched as the girl swiped the back of her hand across her forehead with a tiresome sigh before she stood straight as well.

"Thank you," she said flatly, tucking everything away back into her side bag.

Yamaken watched her closely as she reached for her tattered jacket, sluggishly tying her scarf with her eyes closed.

It was strange. Her complexion was so sickly pale, and her face glowed from the sheen of sweat. Shizuku's expression only enhanced the dead-like facade that she was beginning to take on.

"I will head out now, Yamaken. Goodnight," she said stiffly, pulling her bag over her shoulder before shuffling away.

The blonde stood silent in the nearly empty room for a moment and then began to tuck his books and papers away into his bag. Rummaging through his satchel, he pulled out his phone and checked for any unread text messages that he may have received. Finding his inbox empty, he sighed and tucked away his cell phone away.

Yamaken heaved the heavy duty coat onto his shoulders, readying himself for the bitter winds outside. He hated the cold as much as he hated going to class. When he stepped outside, he realized that the school grounds were nearly empty with only a few stragglers left behind.

With his hands tucked into his pockets, he lowered his chin into his scarf and hurried on, not desiring to get caught up in the frigid cold that would soon be whisking its way into the city. If only he could find his escort, he would be pleasantly sitting in his home within the next half hour, sipping at his black coffee.

Unfortunately, like at the end of most classes, Yamaken was stuck walking around with not a black car in sight to pick him up. He wandered about tiresomely, his cheeks flushed red with the bitter air nipping at his face. He sought shelter inside of a cafe for a good forty minutes before venturing back out with a paper cup of coffee. This time, he was prepared!

It was the very moment he had stepped outside when he noticed her. She was sitting at a bench across the street beneath the roof of the bus stop, her head hunched over as though she had fallen asleep. Yamaken arched a brow, quite confused at what she had been doing, simply sitting there alone.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yamaken spotted a bus turn around the corner and head down the street between them. The bus paused in front of Shizuku, obstructing the blonde's view of her for a few moments. He figured she was just waiting for her bus to come by.

"Hmph." He was just about ready to turn and walk on, but when the bus drove away, his eyes managed to catch her huddled body sitting in the exact same position as before.

"What is she doing?" He asked into the opening of his coffee.

Taking a quick scan of the road, he waited for an opening before dashing ahead (mindful of his steaming beverage) to the other side.

"Oi, Mizutani!"Yamaken called, slowing down his pace into a casual walk. She didn't budge at her name which triggered a sense of alarm down his spine. Her face was tilted down, her two side ponytails swaying in the wind.

"Mizutani." He repeated, stepping in front of her as he hesitantly reached forward and tapped her shoulder. She didn't move for a moment, but then eventually reclined back onto the bench, her face exposed.

Yamaken's eyes widened with horror at the sight of the ailing girl. Her face was absolutely pale with the exception of her red cheeks. Sweat soaked her hair line, and her cracked lips twitched with every heavy pant that escaped her mouth. A cough managed to erupt from within her, followed by a groan.

"Damn it!" He hissed, placing his cup down beside her before taking grasp of her shoulders with his hands. He shook her ever so slightly, just to stir her from her sleep. "Mizutani—wake up!" He demanded, moving a hand to her forehead. Like he had predicted, her skin burned his fingers even in the midst of such a bitter cold. Suddenly, Yamaken had the fearful idea that she had been sitting there, frozen at the bus stop since class had ended.

_But that was nearly an hour ago! _As the panicked thought rang through his mind, Shizuku unconsciously fell forward and her face landed square in his chest. Yamaken cursed beneath his breath and quickly unraveled his scarf, wrapping it warmly around her head in some sad attempt as a hat. He dug into his pockets and fished out his phone, frantically flipping it open to punch in numbers.

"...Haru..." she groaned weakly, coughing into Yamaken's coat with a wheeze.

As the dial tone rang in his ears, he tightened an arm around Shizuku and used his fingers to brush aside her hair from her face. Eventually, a voice answered tiredly through the other line. Without giving the other person enough time to ask what he had wanted, he shot his command and his location before hanging up.

It wasn't long before the black sedan pulled up in front of the two, the driver stepping out to peek over the roof of the car.

"Sir, what on earth—"

"Drive us to the hospital now," Yamaken shot, heaving the girl up into his arms. He may not have been a fighter like Haru, but he was still strong nonetheless. The driver paused, but reluctantly rushed over to the blonde's side before opening the door for him. Yamaken laid the girl across the back seats, her breathing growing faster and heavier with each passing second.

Yamaken slipped into the passenger seat, turning to the driver and gave him a hard, deadly stare. "Get going," he ordered. The man responded by nodding obediently before speeding off.

Yamaken let out a sigh of relief, his eyes drifting back to Shizuku as she slept.

It worried him. He didn't understand why he was so frantic, but he was.

At the hospital, the doctors who arrived to greet Yamaken when carried Shizuku in were stunned, but helpful no less. After all, the son of the man who owned the hospital was a priority.

Yamaken reclined back into a cushioned seat in the lobby, waiting patiently for an update. It wasn't long before a nurse arrived, and informed him on Shizuku's condition.

"She's all right, but seems to be coming into consciousness. Would you like to see her, sir?"

"Of course, take me to her," he said a little too quickly.

The nurse nodded and began to lead him a ways down the hallway, taking a few detours before arriving at Shizuku's room.

For once, he had the upper hand against Haru. It wasn't going to be that idiot's face that she would see when she woke up. No. When those maroon eyes finally opened, it was going to be someone else.

It was his turn to be her hero. It was Yamaken's turn.


	2. Surprising Absence

Chapter 2—Surprising Absence

"Eh?!"

The unified cry of the threesome rang with horror and utter shock, their eyes wide and wild.

After a moment of recovery, the tallest of the trio barged forward and cornered the woman into a tree, forcing her knees to quiver as the boy yanked at her collar. There was a vicious glow in his eyes, resembling that of an angered demon. He pressed her into the bark of the tree, causing it to sift snow from its limbs onto the crowns of their heads. The boy was ready to attack but he was quickly ushered away by the other two to release the squealing teacher.

"What do you mean, 'Shizuku isn't here'?!" Haru howled, shrugging off his friends who did their best to restrain him from pummeling the woman. He snapped fiercely like a dog, ready to tear his victim apart with his bare teeth. "She's supposed to be on one of the buses, you idiot teacher!" He raised a hand to grab her by the arm, but another student intervened by yanking on his wrist.

Natsume pouted but she did her best to hold back her delinquent friend, wary to dodge any flailing fists to the face. "Haru, stop!" She wailed, and with the aid of Sasayan, managed to pull her friend back into a fidgety stance. It was a complete miracle that he had listened without Shizuku around... Haru's attacks were sure to draw blood.

"Saeko-sensei," Natsume called, much sounder than the way Haru had addressed her. "Can you tell us why Mitty isn't here?"

After fixing her shirt, the brunette sighed and anxiously patted her hair accordingly before glancing down edgily at her clipboard. "Mizutani's father called this morning to explain that she was admitted to the hospital last night after falling ill. She's recovering right now, and will be absent for this trip. I thought she would have told you three at the very least," the woman explained, her fingers clasping at the edges of her clipboard with dear life. She managed to translate the heated glares from two of the students that Shizuku had not bothered to inform any of them on her situation.

With a quick exchange of firm nods, Natsume and Haru spun to face Sasayan with a hopeful, yet pleading look. A crooked frown appeared on his mouth as he shook his head, adding somberly, "No, she didn't tell me either."

"Wah, Mitty! How can you be so cruel to not tell us? " Natsume cried into the silent, still air.

"Shh! Natsume, keep your voice down! If you two haven't noticed, we're right in front of the Ise Shrine. Please be more respectful of those who have come to pay their homage," the woman scolded, raising a hand to tenderly rub the temples at the side of her head. "Go on with the rest of your classmates. Hurry along." She gestured toward the top of the hill where a steady flow of students had piled up. With a miserable sigh, she turned toward the flight of stone steps, dragging herself up with lowly whispers of curses and bitter predictions of the following ten days.

Despite their given instructions, the three stood firmly in their spots and heaved an irritated breath together.

"That's it," Haru exclaimed, charging back to the bus with his grinding teeth. "I'm going back home!"

As he began to pound his fist at the side of the bus, Natsume quickly hurried over and yanked on his jacket once more. "Haru, enough. You can't leave," she muttered, a pinched expression painting her face. "This trip is mandatory!"

"Natsume's right, Haru. It was a two hour drive here... you can't walk back and there are no buses available for you. You'll just have to wait," Sasayan added, in attempt to calm the raging young man. Unfortunately for him, Haru was only further aggravated by his objections.

"I only came because of Shizuku! I thought we'd be together all the time, but she's not here! Since she's back at home, I want to go there too!" Haru was not one to take no for an answer, but luckily for Shizuku and everyone else, he was easily conned with petty bribes and sweet words.

With a mischievous gleam in his eyes, Sasayan arched a brow and tapped Natsume on the back of her shoulder, offering the sweetest look he possessed when she turned to face him. "Natsume, let's leave Haru here in case he manages to get back home. I spotted a payphone on our way here from the bus." As he spoke, he could tell from the lit up faces that he had caught the attention of both friends. "I don't think our phones will get any service, here. Why don't we head down and call her?"

At the mention of calling the missing presence of their usual quartet, the delinquent and the blogger spun around to face the boy with excited eyes. "Let's do that!" Natsume cheered, punching the air as though she had had succeeded in a mission. Haru mimicked her gesture, laughing merrily as he bolted down the dirt path that had been blanketed with snow.

Natsume chased after him, hollering complaints of being left behind. The sounds of their feet crunching the freshly fallen snow eventually disappeared, leaving a peaceful quiet in their stead.

"Oh Mizutani," Sasayan sighed, raising the base of his palm to his forehead as he slowly glanced up at the clear, blue skies. "I can't believe you left me here with these two." With reluctance, Sasayan followed after the two, not as quick, but just as enthusiastic.

* * *

"Haru, it's all your fault!"

With a light pant, Sasayan paused in the midst of his jog and peered down at the bickering two. They were already standing in front of the phone booth, but something didn't seem quite right. His eyes drifted from Natsume's horrified expression, and then to the black object in her hands.

"It's not my fault," Haru denied, crossing his arms over his chest and flicking his usual death stare away from the scene. "It broke so easily! Even you could have done it, Natsume!"

"What? I'm not as strong as you," the girl mumbled, falling into the snow with her hands limp on her lap. She cocked her face up to the sky, releasing a frustrated cry. "This isn't fair! How can we call Mitty now?"

Approaching the duo with a wary eye, it was easier now to see what Natsume had been holding. It, in fact, was the handset that was previously attached to the rest of the payphone. Sasayan let out a nervous chuckle as he turned to Haru. There was an anxious twitch in his brow as he said, "You... you didn't really break the phone did you?"

"It fell off on its own!" Haru's insistence was impregnable, but there was no doubt about it—he _did_ rip apart the cord.

"No it didn't," Natsume denied, scrambling to stand up as she pointed an accusing finger in the supposed culprit's direction. "You didn't put enough coins into it and that's why it didn't work! Not because it ate your money!"

"No!"

"Yeah!"

"No! No! No!"

"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!"

"Now, now... let's stop," Sasayan managed to cut in, only to witness the two crumble back to the ground with defeat. It was no surprise to him how often the two bickered needlessly over matters that involved Shizuku. Neither held any hard feelings, but it was clear that Haru's rashness and ignorance bothered Natsume's ideal vision of her friends' relationship.

"We'll go into town tomorrow and find another phone. In the meantime, we should head back," Sasayan suggested while he tugged the phone out of Natsume's constricted fingers. He managed to tone out their quarrels when he entered the phone booth, his gaze scanning the worn machine with a critical eye.

He hadn't seen any payphones like this one before. This one was particularly older than those back home, which weren't much use since the majority of the population possessed access to their own cell phone. The words and numbers were worn, clearly having faded from countless uses and years. Even the silver tail of the handset had been rusted which explained how Haru managed to tear it off so easily. He may have been right about the weakness, but Sasayan could still imagine Haru acting relentlessly with the machine regardless.

When he stepped out of the door, he discovered the two had already been mumbling to each other on how they missed Shizuku.

"I'm sure Mitty didn't do this on purpose, Haru," Natsume said lightly, her eyes slanting to the side with much despair. "Our attendance is graded, and since Mitty cares about school so much, there's no reason for her to miss it without a good excuse."

"But then why is she away?" Haru yelled, running his fingers through his curly hair with fury. "I don't want to be here anymore!"

"Haru, don't give up! We can make friends while we're here!" Natsume's idea managed to spark a mutual interest between the two that Sasayan could not understand. Every time the two visited a new location, they were far too eager on meeting new people more than anything else.

"Ah, you're right Natsume!" Haru responded, his eyes widening with awe and instantaneous distraction. He slapped his fist into his open palm, a look of awe emptying out the previous frustration from his face. "Peer bonding..." His voice faded into wonder, his mind clearly elsewhere.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Sasayan asked. The two suddenly flicked their gaze toward the boy with an astonished glance. "What?"

"I'm sorry, I got caught up and I forgot you were here, Sasayan," Natsume admitted sheepishly.

"Yeah, so did I," Haru added.

"You guys are horrible," Sasayan muttered, tucking his freezing fingers into his coat pockets before beginning his trek back to the shrine.

From behind, Natsume and Haru rose to their feet and dusted off the snow from their legs before catching up with Sasayan.

* * *

After a ways of walking, Natsume peered up at her friend and frowned, a sudden thought trailing into her mind. "Haru, how come you didn't know that Mitty didn't board the bus?" She asked.

"I didn't know she wasn't on the bus! I thought she was ignoring me again!" He defended, his brows furrowed to show the tension in the lines of his forehead.

Sasayan poked his face out from Haru's other side, holding up his hand with his fingers and thumbs flat out. "There were five buses, and we were all separated because of our last names," he explained, and began to mentally run through the alphabet as he curled back one finger at a time. "I think Mizutani was supposed to be on the second bus. It's pretty unlucky you and her were separated by a letter, Natsume," he sighed.

Natsume's face paled as she looked away shamefully, recalling the awkwardness that had taken place when she boarded the bus. As one of the last to board (looking for Shizuku until the very last moment), the task of finding a seat had become quite displeasing to see no recognizable faces at first. There were a few boys who were more than glad to scoot aside, but she eventually discovered Oshima sitting by her lonesome self. "Yes, it is very unlucky," she sighed and proceeded to toss her hands up above her head. "But she didn't even come with us in the end! That's even worse!"

Haru sighed and crossed his arms, begrudgingly deciding to stick around for the time being. "I'd run home if I could, but I'd probably get lost along the way," he muttered, kicking a lump of frozen snow across the open road. "Shizuku is in the hospital! I should be there!" He cried, cracking his knuckles with seething anger.

"Haru, calm down," Natsume urged, running a hand absentmindedly through her curled hair. She was anxious as well, but she felt much more at peace than her friend. "Mitty is just sick, and she's getting some rest for now! I'm sure it'll be fine."

Haru's threatening glower fixated on her. "What if something happens to Shizuku while we're gone?" He demanded to know, his fists clenching at his sides.

Sasayan chuckled and patted Haru's shoulder with a smirk curling his lips. Despite the whole group's displeasure, they knew there was nothing they could do for now except to wait out the trip.

"Yeah, Haru," Sasayan chimed. "What can possibly happen to Mizutani in ten days?"

* * *

**ANN:**

Hey guys c: This chapter is a bit...eh...

It's more of a filler chapter to inform you guys where everyone else is in this story. I'm going to update with a third chapter (with yamaken and shizuku primarily) later on this week.

Bye dolls.


	3. Awakening

Chapter 3—Awakening

"Damn it..."

Raising a hand, Yamaken dusted off the stray leaves that had managed to entangle themselves into his golden tresses. His aggravation with the city's layout rose with every passing second. It was clear that the boy was uninterested in wandering aimlessly on this particular afternoon. He didn't dare to be late today.

Surely he was anxious about seeing her _again_ when she appeared so frail. It felt unfamiliar for Yamaken to see Shizuku so vulnerable without having Haru dive into her rescue. It was as though his guard refused to be lowered in fear of seeing the idiot burst through the hospital window (despite the scaling 12 floors).

Nonetheless, his mind was made up. Today was another chance.

* * *

_"If there is something wrong, sir, please feel free to call one of the nurses," the woman told him, bowing her head down respectfully. "I will return later to check up on her."_

_"Thanks," Yamaken said lowly before opening the door to Shizuku's room. The nurse nodded once before scurrying away to other duties that beckoned for her. Yamaken's eyes followed the back of her head until she disappeared around the corner, leaving the corridor empty and quiet with the occasional beep every now and again. _

_Turning back to the room, Yamaken felt his stomach knot up as he took a step forward. He did his best to gulp down the stress that stiffened his back. Unfortunately, the closer he drew to her bed, the tenser he grew._

_The silhouette of her bed and still body was defined across the pleated curtain that separated them. Yamaken paused with his hand resting on the hem of the drape, his eyes softening momentarily. He spared only a moment of hesitation before casting a hardened expression of determination upon the piece of fabric—drawing it back, he saw her._

_Lying in bed with a hospital gown to replace her dirtied clothes, Yamaken couldn't help but realize the girl's similarity to that of a porcelain doll; pale, gleaming skin and a youthful look on top of it all. Her hair had been untangled from the two usual low side tails, leaving it cascading down her shoulders. Her chest heaved up and down slowly with every breath, as signaled through the machine at her bedside. Tubes and intravenous needles prodded her skin, hooking up various appliances. It was perhaps over the top, but Yamaken demanded the best treatment for her. Money was no issue to the elitist. _

_Despite the fact that he had seen her at a worse state just an hour ago, the blonde couldn't help but let slip the shocked face that took him by surprise. His expression softened, however, when her eyelashes fluttered. She was stirring out of her sleep._

_"Nn..."_

_The girl groaned, attempting to wake. Yamaken's eyes focused on her as he rounded the foot of the bed, taking a seat in the chair at her bedside. He reclined back, making himself comfortable in the metal seat as he observed the girl twitch and fidget._

_After he had arrived at the hospital, Yamaken called Shizuku's father. Reassuring her she was fine, he made quick arrangements to send a car to pick the man up. Along the way, he'd be dropping Shizuku's younger brother off at her grandmother's. Her father also had to call his wife and update her on the situation._

_All of a sudden, Shizuku's eyes flashed wide open. Yamaken was startled by her awakening as it was out of the blue. Her burgundy gems were as serious as always, but quite enchanting as well. They hardened, clearly confused by the foreign surroundings._

_The blonde watched as she peered over at him from the corner of her eyes, straining to see who had been sitting by her side. Her lips parted before she called, "...Haru?"_

_Yamaken's brow twitched at the name, his hand simultaneously tightened around the arm rest that he had been grasping._

_"Guess again, Mizutani." Yamaken's irritation was evident, but clearly not enough for the study bug to realize. _

_Shizuku turned her head to forty five degree angle toward the blonde, finally registering who was present. She appeared perplexed, as though she hadn't expected to see him sitting there. "Yamaken," she murmured softly, before glancing down at her body. "What happened?"_

_Suppressing a frustrated sigh, Yamaken reported all the events that had happened up until that point. He began her from when he spotted her at the bus stop, to her current state: everything._

_ Shizuku's expression barely changed throughout the story, which wasn't much of a surprise. When Yamaken finished, the two just stared at one another for a few moments. The girl sighed and raised a hand to her forehead, as though exhausted from the tale. "Ah, I see," she sighed, clearly bothered by having fallen ill. Regardless, she turned to Yamaken and frowned. "I'm for causing so much trouble, Yamaken."_

_The blonde had been daunted by her apologetic look. They've shared multiple encounters where he tried to offer her something, but she always insisted on paying him back. It was up until now that he finally managed to give her something that she couldn't return. This was probably why she was apologizing... because it was an actual gift. An odd one, but a gift nonetheless._

_Slouched in his chair, Yamaken glanced down at the ground. "Don't worry about it," he muttered into his collar._

_When he turned back to face the girl, he was greeted by her hard stare. His eyes narrowed on her face, as though he had been suddenly accused of something. "What?" He demanded, frowning at her unwavering gaze._

_"Nothing," she replied. Her eyes began to close, expressing her tiredness._

_Yamaken sighed and rose to his feet, tucking his fists in his pockets. "I called your father and he's on his way," he told her, only to hear her mutter something beneath her breath. "I'll leave you then."_

_Shizuku's eyes widened, shaking off her sleepiness for a brief moment. "Mmm..." She glanced at her intravenous, and then back at Yamaken. "Thanks. See you later."_

_Yamaken nodded, his gaze lingering on her face as she closed her eyes. When she appeared to have had fallen asleep instantaneously, the blonde glanced away and departed. Although he had been anticipating her awakening, it didn't go as well as he had hoped._

* * *

Despite his undeserving defeat to the idiot, Yamaken was determined to win Shizuku over. At least, he wanted her to seek _him _out for once as opposed to that blubbering fool.

Today was a new day and Shizuku must have been fully rested by now. However, her absence at school must have caused a disturbance among her friends. Yamaken was sure they'd be investigating her disappearance, so he had to hurry before they deciphered everything and rushed to the hospital before he could.

In the meantime, the other idiotic trio (comprising of Mabo, Joji, and Tomio) pestered him where he had been going. Brushing them off by stating it was none of their business, he quickly shook them off his tail by directing them to a few girls from the neighbouring school.

When he finally found his escort, Yamaken directed his driver toward the hospital once again like the night before.

It was a silent drive, as usual. Yamaken had his elbow propped up against the door, his cheek resting against his fist as he gazed out the window with passing thoughts slipping by like the scenery around him. He had been attempting to find a logical reason as to visit Shizuku without appearing as though he really wanted to. Haru was probably going to pummel him for not giving him a heads up about the situation, but then again, that was a risk he was going to take to achieve some privacy with the girl.

Yamaken was dropped off at the front, leaving him to face the hospital head on by himself. When he stepped in, he was already alert of his surroundings and made sure to keep an eye out for Haru and his friends. They'd definitely interrogate for his reasons on visiting.

The first thing he noticed was that there was no one around, despite Shizuku's school already having ended earlier. There was not a single irritating, delinquent storming about, nor a fairly cute, whining girl. Even that baseball star hadn't been in his sights.

Despite the helpful arrows, it took Yamaken another few minutes to find out where the elevators had been. Luckily for him, the elevator was arriving to the lobby within a few moments. The doors slid open and revealed a man and his son. The man seemed embarrassed, caught in conversation with his son whom Yamaken recognized right away.

"Mizutani," he whispered, almost surprised. The boy resembled Shizuku incredibly; their deadpan expressions were identical. The flustered man paused and glanced at Yamaken, brow raised. Clearly, he heard the blonde mention his name. Yamaken stiffened and stepped aside to give them room to step out.

"Uh, mister," Yamaken called, despite already possessing their attention. "Are you, by chance, Shizuku's father?"

The man was scraggly looking, as though he just rolled out of bed five minutes ago. He narrowed his eyes on Yamaken, as though taken aback that this stranger knew his daughter's name.

"Yes. Yes, I am," he replied lightly, and cocked his head to the side. "Do you know my daughter?"

Flustered by having run into the old man, Yamaken nodded his head and bowed respectfully. "Yes, sir. My name is Yamaken. My family owns this hospital," he explained, to which the man seemed to relax slightly. "I was the one to call you last night. We've spoken once before..." He recalled the awkwardness of their first phone encounter. Shizuku's father asked him numerous questions before he actually gave the phone away to Shizuku, much to the blonde's anxiety.

"Oh! Yes, I recall you," the man said with a smile, enthused by his run-in. "I was afraid my daughter was meeting more weirdoes again, like that other boy," he explained. Yamaken knew right away who this man was speaking about, and was slightly enlightened that Shizuku's father didn't fully approve of the "weirdo".

"What brings you around here, Yamaken?" He asked curiously, but then a sudden realization dawned on the man. "Uh—by the way, my family will surely repay you for Shizuku's treatment! We'll be bringing her home tonight as well..."

"You don't need to worry about that, sir," Yamaken explained, a mouth pulling into a charming smile. "My family will cover the expenses, and it's best if Mizutani stays here. The nurses will keep a good eye on her."

He nailed it.

The man's eyes widened with awe and pure joy, clearly ecstatic to be given this offer for his daughter. "Is that so? Thank you so much, Yamaken!" He practically cried out his gratitude. His enthusiasm contrasted with his daughter's, but it seemed as though her younger brother's did not. He was still watching Yamaken with a straight face, barely wavered by the blonde's gift.

"Oh, and if you are visiting Shizuku, be careful," the man warned, raising a finger to dramatize the point. "She isn't in a good mood. As of today, her grade took a trip to the Ise Shrine for ten days and they are being marked on their attendance and participation. Shizuku wants to go for the marks, but her condition might worsen. Her teachers told me they'd arrange for a test when they return so she can make up for her lost marks."

After hearing the news, Yamaken couldn't help but feel unquestionably relieved.

"Ah, sir, did her friends attend the trip? Haru and the others," he asked, the desperation in his voice rising.

The man paused and tapped his lip thoughtfully while his eyes rolled up to the ceiling. "Ah, that Yoshida boy? I believe he did with the other two."

"Oh, thank you," Yamaken said with a curt bow. In the sweep of the bow, Yamaken managed to pull a victorious smile and wipe it away before straightening. "I'll be going then."

Shizuku's father smiled and nodded his head, excusing himself and his son before they headed out.

Once he was alone in the elevator, Yamaken ran a hand through his blonde hair with a confident grin plastered on his mouth.

No Haru.

No annoying chick.

None of her friends for ten whole days!

It called for celebration, but Yamaken regained his composure as soon as the elevators doors opened. It took him only ten minutes for him to realize that he had gotten off at the wrong floor, and it took him another half an hour to finally arrive at the right recovery room. He approached the door, only to find a few nurses escaping with confused expressions. They appeared defeated.

"Excuse me," he called out, causing a nurse to turn to him with a raised brow. "Is everything all right with Mizutani?"

The nurse sighed and nodded her head, a contemplative and worried face rising. "Yes, she is recovering well but she's demanding to leave. The doctor highly recommended that she stayed to rest, but she refuses to listen."

Yamaken thanked the woman before she excused herself. In the meantime, a rampage of cries hammered his ears from within the room.

"I can't stay in this bed!"

Shizuku's voice rose an octave with panic, her eyes suddenly falling on Yamaken as he entered the room. "I need to get to that trip!" She shouted, tossing off the blanket. Yamaken frowned, and pushed her back down onto the hospital bed. "No. Not while I'm here. Doctor's orders."

Shizuku flailed, but he tightened his grasp.

"I'm in charge now."


	4. Go Fetch!

Chapter 4—Go Fetch!

"Yes, I understand. Thank you."

The girl lowered the handset from her ear, placing it back onto its hinge before she pressed her forehead against the wall. A subtle sigh escaped her lips as she tightened the grasp of her other hand on the pole of her IV, frustration and stress wallowing in the pit of her stomach.

"I should have just made a run for it," she muttered beneath her breath, her icy glare slowly shifting to meet that of her so-called hero. If anything, he had only made matters worse for her.

Yamaken watched Shizuku glare at him with an unsatisfied expression, her lips pinched with nothing but sheer annoyance. He frowned and arched a brow, reclining back as he cocked his head to the side.

"What did she say?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest as absentmindedly glanced up at the ceiling.

"Because I am legitimately ill, they will offer me the option of completing a test about the historical value of Ise Shrine when they return," she replied, straightening her posture as she touched her fingers to her lips with a thoughtful expression. Her eyes suddenly hardened as she slapped her palm to her forehead, releasing a groan of irritability. "These books will cost me more than necessary."

Yamaken watched as the girl suddenly teetered toward the wall unsteadily, sending him to his feet. "Oi," he called out, hesitantly reaching over to help her regain balance. "Are you okay?"

Shizuku silently nodded before peering up at Yamaken, the dark circles beneath her eyes more evident than ever. "Yes, I'm fine," she reassured him, and eased back to the phone as she tabulated her upcoming expenses. A string of numbers and book titles escaped her mouth in hushed whispers until she arrived to a total amount. "They'll cost me over six thousand yen," she concluded.

¥6000.

That was pocket change to Yamaken, but the number itself seemed to make Shizuku more than uncomfortable. He could practically see her wither away as she stood straight and lifted the phone to her ear.

"Who are you calling now?" Yamaken asked irritably, his brows furrowing at the mental list of people who he knew she was acquainted with.

She punched in numbers, one at a time, as she spoke. "My brother. I'll instruct him which books to get me, and where—"

All of a sudden, the handset was yanked out of her grasp and was placed back onto the hook. Glancing up at the blonde with a puzzled and bewildered look, Shizuku frowned and attempted to ask, "What are you—"

"Write down the titles," Yamaken instructed, much to Shizuku's doubtful stares. Seeing as she didn't fully trust him with such an errand, Yamaken sighed and rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "My father has a collection of historical books at home that he no longer reads. You can take them. No one's reading them anyway."

Shizuku's eyes softened now that she saw the blonde's intentions. "Well, if you have the books, I would be grateful," she replied flatly and began to lead the way back to her room, the squeaking of her IV stand filling the silence as the boy followed quietly.

"Are these it?"

"Yes. Please return by one o'clock."

_I can't believe she has the nerve to give me a deadline when I'm the one who is offering to do her a favour,_ Yamaken thought bitterly as he folded the sheet twice. He retrieved his wallet and tucked away the list into one of its compartments. He glanced back at Shizuku to find her staring at him with wide, intense eyes that refused to falter.

His cheeks reddened by the slightest as he straightened defensively. Was there something wrong? Did he have something on his shirt, or on his face? Was his hair in a wild mess like that idiot Haru? Yamaken's anxieties rose, but he frowned nevertheless. "What?"

Shizuku merely watched him, her gaze focused and unusually glimmering. Her fingers were taught on her bed sheets, fidgeting with the hems on her lap. This was not the usual in-control Study Bug that he had gotten to know. The brunette merely glanced back down into her lap uncomfortably and shook her head. "Nothing," she sighed, reclining back to lie in bed. "If I don't study... I'm nervous. Especially when I know there will be an upcoming test," she explained, and raised the sheet above her face.

From beneath the piece of cloth, Shizuku's voice rang loud and clear one last time.

"Be back by one o'clock, Yamaken. And don't get lost."

"Tch! Buzz off," he snapped, swiveling toward the door on his heel before speeding off.

* * *

It was frustrating that the only time Yamaken knew where he was, happened to be the same street corner that he had already passed more than just a _couple_ of times. This happened over and over again which meant that he merely wandering around in a futile loop, barely nearing his goal of finding the bookstore. He groaned and scratched his head, brushing aside the leaves that had snagged onto his golden tresses. Scanning the vicinity, he refused to believe that he had been lost—no, the city was just littered with the same bakery on every street corner, was all! He definitely was _not_ running into the same one numerous times.

He had told Shizuku that his father owned historical books, but in all honesty, he wasn't completely telling the truth. The Yamaguchi father _did _own historical books, but there were only historical because of their age and price. They were not based upon famous landmarks, nor were they riddled with information about various Japanese cultures. Yamaken only insisted on retrieving her books so he could be helpful, or at least have a reason to return.

_12:00._

He was due for a good lunch about half an hour ago, but he was already running late on Shizuku's schedule. By now, the boy should have been on the bus to the hospital, where an eager and grateful young woman would greet him with praises and adorable compliments. At any rate, such a fantasy was not going to become reality any time soon.

After zigzagging through unknown streets, Yamaken was almost certain that he was lost this time around. However, as he turned toward the path that he believed would lead him back to the main road, he had splendidly found himself standing before the local book store. Peering inside, he was glad to see that it was nearly empty—no one would see hear his petulant complaints of being unable to find the correct aisle.

Once inside, he took a quick note of a woman whose eyes flashed toward the blonde once he entered the room. He stifled a snicker and managed to suppress a smirk. _Of course she'd look,_ he thought, running a hand teasingly through his hair. _Not a surprise to catch an amorous glance._

As he strode by, however, he overheard the woman whisper to an associate beside her, "...got lost last time..."

Yamaken missed a step and almost lost footing as he ascended the stairs, but his grasp on the handle saved him from too much embarrassment. Despite the wound in his pride, he muttered a curse beneath his breath and carried on, narrowing his glare on the second floor above him. He was not going to allow some _woman_ mock his sense of direction right in front of him—no!

He marched up the stairs silently with his fingers picking out his wallet. He retrieved the list once he reached the top flight of the steps, heaving a sigh as he scanned the area. There were no signs to indicate if he was going in the right direction, but he was _sure_ this was the floor for historical landmarks.

After dipping into a row of bookcases about languages and arts, he realized that he may have been wrong about the top floor. Just as he turned back toward the staircase, he noticed that there was an approaching figure from below, its presence given away by the footsteps that echoed up. Yamaken held his breath and narrowed his eyes, beginning to descend with the air of an elitist.

"Ah, sir!"

Yamaken paused and glanced to his side as the woman stopped abruptly to his left, her eyes wide and curious while her lips were curled with a friendly greeting. It was the same woman from before, the one who commented about his misguidance the last time around.

"Yes?" He asked lightly, refusing to show his rather spiteful side.

"Do you need any help... looking for a book? Or, may I recommend something?" She asked tentatively, as though wary of whether she was going to offend him or not. She must have known about his disinterest in seeking aid.

Yamaken's fingers tightened around the crumpled sheet of paper, his patience wearing thin as he contemplated the best decision. He did _not_ need help! He could do this on his own! However, he glanced at his phone and realized the little amount of time he had left before Shizuku would send her brother off on this errand.

With a chomp on his pride, the blonde reluctantly smoothed out the note and handed it over to the sales associate. "Yes, I'm looking for these books," he informed her. It wasn't like he was _lost_... he just wasn't familiar with these sort of _books_.

Yes... that was why.

The woman scanned through the list for a brief moment before returning her brightened stare at Yamaken. "Yes, these are back on the third floor. Follow me," she chirped, spinning on her foot before merrily speeding off. Yamaken's brows furrowed as he tucked his fists into his jacket, falling into line behind his guide.

With twenty minutes less on his phone and a wallet that was six thousand yen lighter, Yamaken was successfully in possession of the books needed for Shizuku's test. Although he just managed to survive the horrible bookstore encounter (what with many knives protruding from his ego), with the books in hand, he was prepared for even a _war _against Shizuku. There was only one thing that was never usually in his favour: time. He knew how strict the Study Bug was with her demands.

As frustrating as her impatience was, Yamaken was not going to test his luck this time around. He discovered from previous meet ups with the girl that she was not to be kept waiting, otherwise she'd leave her tardy companion.

Yamaken arrived at a bus stop (miraculously) just before the next ride. There was already a cluster of people gathered in front of him, dancing from leg to leg in order to generate enough heat to keep warm. The blonde watched on with an entertained eye, feeling as though he was the only human amongst the group of primitive, dancing creatures. Despite appearing idiotic, they at least appeared... _warm_. The weather had been bad over the last week, and although the previous night was much worse, it did not stop the freezing cold from nipping at his nose.

Kissing his teeth out of annoyance, he could only wonder why the bus was late.

Perhaps this was why Shizuku was so impatient. He wouldn't want to waste his time with inconvenient individuals (or in his case, transportation) as well.

Eventually, the bus arrived and Yamaken was forced to journey to the back of the vehicle where all the hardened globs of gum lined the edges of his seat.

"This is disgusting," he muttered, squeezing his legs together and tucking his elbows into his sides. The books were kept neatly stacked on top of his lap for the remainder of the ride.

The city zipped by Yamaken's window—recognizable landscapes and buildings flashing by his eyes. They began to move toward the more urbanized side of the city where his family's hospital had been located. Eventually, he spotted the familiar insignia of the Yamaguichi family at the top of a towering building. As the bus approached what seemed to be a familiar stop, Yamaken raised his hand and tugged on the yellow cord to stop the moving vehicle

Squeezing between an uncomfortably snug couple, Yamaken muttered his apologies and stepped off the landing to the sidewalk, scanning the road for the tall building again. Unfortunately, from where he stood, he could no longer catch glimpse of the infamous hospital. A bitter growl escaped his lips as he marched down the sidewalk toward where he had seen the building. However, with no avail, he simply ended up at a dead end; an alleyway that would wind up to nowhere.

Yamaken was _sure_ this was the stop he normally got off at. He retrieved his phone hastily with his free hand, juggling the others under his other arm.

12:37 PM.

He had enough time... _by bus_. Peering down the road, he realized the large red vehicle had already turned a corner, escaping from Yamaken's sights.

"Why am I even here fetching these textbooks like a _dog_ for that girl?" He angrily muttered, stomping after the bus's route. After a few minutes of circling a single building and arriving to realization of such foolishness, Yamaken plopped down on a bench and propped the books up at his side.

"This is so frustrating," he whispered, pinching the bridge of his nose tenderly before tossing his fierce stare up at the clumps of gray clouds. "I don't need to run errands that my mother's maid could do!"

Albeit he was in no position to order around his mother's employees, but it felt so demeaning to have to commit to simple _chores_ for a girl! She was the cause of his pride's suffering.

"_Your pride will be your undoing, one day."_

Yamaken's eyes flicked down to the pile of books, nearly startled by the sudden criticism. It was because her voice had been so clear in his mind that he swore she was sitting right there, lecturing him again. However, as hard as he looked, all that occupied the seat next to him were the books that had been the very reason for his aimless wandering.

"My 'undoing', she says?" He spoke quietly to himself, lowering his hand slowly to his side. "Does she think I'm so petty and predictable?" He scoffed, sweeping the books into his grasp before he rose to his feet.

The boy charged down the street, an irritable and livid face beneath his golden hair. The people who were walking on the oncoming direction parted to the sides of the street, slightly frightened by his expression.

When Yamaken arrived at the corner of an intersection, he realized his internal compass had gone askew once again.

"_Your undoing."_

"Shut up!" He snarled beneath his breath at the chiding voice from within. He didn't need any help!

After an abrupt turn, Yamaken ended up in a courtyard that was absolutely foreign to him. Another wrong move resulted in aimless meandering outside the Oto Academy for Girls. This was getting him _farther _away from the hospital.

"_Yamaken. One o'clock."_

Her voice rang annoyingly clear again, like she was nagging at him from behind.

_Leave me alone._

"_You're going to be late and I'm going to send my little brother after those books."_

_You're seriously way too impatient. I'm just helping you, so why do you keep nagging me?_

"_You're clearly not trustworthy enough, Yamaken. I thought this task would be too much for you."_

_Shut up!_

"_No. I told you your pride would be undoing. All you need to do is ask for help."_

_I never ask for help._

"_Then, l suppose I can never ask a favour of you for anything again."_

From within, the internal battle raged as Yamaken's eyes shifted uncomfortably to an old vendor within a food stall. Yamaken took a hesitant step back, almost turning to head off on his own again. However, he glanced back down at his phone and realized that with every stubborn second, he was wasting time.

With a gulp of anxiety and bitter resentment, Yamaken spun around and approached the man.

"Excuse me, sir!"

* * *

"Yo, Mizutani."

The door slammed open, banging against the wall and causing a slight disturbance among several other patients and nurses nearby. Inside the room, Shizuku turned to greet her intruder with a simple expression of boredom. "Ah, Yamaken. You're back."

Yamaken dragged his feet forward as he panted heavily, dropping the books onto her side table just as Shizuku's phone began to ring. His eyes shifted suspiciously to the caller, but he soon realized it wasn't a call. It was an _alarm_.

"You're on time," Shizuku noted lightly, reaching over to touch the books with an approving smile. "Surprisingly."

"Hey! The least... you could do... is say... 'thanks'!" Yamaken heaved deep breaths, forcing breaks into his statement. He felt so stupid! Like an idiot! Running around everywhere just to deliver books like some stupid mailman!

"Oh, yes," Shizuku called blankly, retrieving the books as she placed them onto her lap like a pet, her fingers stroking the bindings with much relief. Her eyes turned to Yamaken, and like once before, his heartstrings tugged nervously as the corners of her lips pulled up wide. Her smile, albeit rare, was simply beautiful.

"Thank you, Yamaken. I appreciate your help."

Yamaken nodded, his chest still erratically heaving as he lowered himself into a bedside seat.

Shizuku glanced at the boy with a curious twitch in her eyes, only to shake her head and turn back to her books.

If she thought she was being discreet, she was so definitely wrong. Yamaken narrowed his eyes and asked, "What?"

"Nevermind."

"No, you're staring. What is it?" He demanded, suddenly feeling paranoid.

"To be honest, I didn't think you'd make it on time," she stated lightly as she began to flip through her first book, her mind more focused on the context than the conversation she was partaking in.

"Lay off," he snapped, flicking his annoyed glance away. "Why is it so ridiculous that I made it on time?"

"Nothing, really," Shizuku responded absentmindedly, her fingers scanning through the lines of the hardback.

After she spoke, silence began to fill the void and the only thing that was heard in the room was the ticking clock, and the consistent flipping of pages. Eventually Yamaken sighed and tossed in his towel.

"I asked for help," he admitted. "That's why."

"But you told me you never ask for—"

"I know I did," he interrupted, not wanting her to rub salt into his wounds. "But... I remembered someone told me that my pride would be my undoing one day."

His eyes flashed up, cheeks reddening as he felt his pride wither away once again into the size of a mere watermelon seed.

Shizuku's attention momentarily peeled away from her book, and was fixated on Yamaken with a hint of surprise etched on her face.

Yamaken frowned, his face growing even hotter as he jerked his chin away doggedly. "I'm not as predictable as you'd think! I decided since I was on your stupid time limit, that it'd be okay this time! It's not like I always ask for help, I just—"

"Wait," Shizuku interjected, raising a hand with a puzzled face. "Did _I _say that?"

Yamaken's fist quivered at his side before he slammed it onto his armrest. A vein might as well have popped. "Yeah, you did! At least remember our conversations!"

Was he just wasting his time?

Shizuku shrugged and glanced back at her book. "It's no business of mine how you choose to make your decisions, Yamaken. I just never expected you to ask for help like that," she commented, closing her book before turning back to the blonde. "I just think it was out of the ordinary for you. Impressive, too."

_Impressive?_

"What do you mean?" He asked, watching Shizuku switch to another book.

She was already distracted, but at the very least she was still paying a bit of attention to her company. "I mean to say that it is out of your ordinary. You can be quite immature and childish about things, to be honest. Asking for directions is simple, I would believe. Apparently, it's a difficult task for you."

In some way, it felt like she was only grinding her foot into his pride but at the same time inflating it. Was she telling him that he was more... _mature_ than she had expected? How could that _be_ over such a little thing...

"Like I said, it was impressive. But stating this could be counterproductive, as it may just inflate your pride even further..."

Did she want to compliment or to insult him? Yamaken couldn't figure it out.

"Whatever, I'm going to get something to drink."

Rising to his feet after catching his breath, Yamaken began to trudge out, unsure of whether to feel happy, or slighted by Shizuku's comment.

"If you want to know, I think it is becoming of you... at least, I would believe. My father wasn't exactly a great example of man, more of a failure..."

Yamaken paused midstep and glanced over his shoulder at the girl, surprised and utterly shocked by the outright praise. She pointed to her empty glass suddenly and asked, "Will you get me some water too?"

Yamaken wanted to say no, or tell her to get it on her own... but he withheld the need. Nodding his head, he retrieved her glass and began to walk away.

It was weird, what she was doing to him.

The way she was beginning to change him—making him grow up.

Was that the sort of thing love does to someone?

* * *

**ANN:**

Yikes! I haven't updated in almost a month!

Well, I apologize guys! I've been busy with helping my sister in chemistry and finishing up a heck load of requests on tumblr :c

IN any case, this chapter was sort of inspired by what Mitsuyoshi had to say about love:

_**"But love is good. It changes people, for better or worse. You could look at it as a chance to change. The best kind of love helps you grow**_** up."**

Yeah... I don't know = u = Well I'll hopefully be back sooner for chapter 5 c: See you guys around!


	5. The Mizutanis

Chapter 5—The Mizutanis

"Ah, Shizuku!"

Yamaken had been seated in a chair, watching Shizuku sift through her books eagerly before both heads turned to face the visitor.

Standing in the doorway of the room was a familiar face to Yamaken, but an all too displeasing one to the man's daughter. Shizuku's eyes narrowed as she tightened her fingers around her bed sheets, withholding her need to snap at her father. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

The man glanced around the room embarrassedly, his eyes falling on Yamaken last with a delighted smile. "Oh, you're that boy from before," he began, shuffling forward into the room to Yamaken's chair before bowing graciously. "Thank you again for watching over my daughter."

"Oh, you're welcome," Yamaken replied, rising to his feet to respectfully bow in return to the older man. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a younger boy peeking around the corner of the door frame with an identical expression of Shizuku's. Yamaken frowned as he pointed to the stalker, and then glanced back at the bedridden patient who had been bickering with her father. "There's someone else here," he informed her.

Shizuku peered over to the doorway and beckoned the shadow forward. It was the boy from earlier: Shizuku's younger brother.

"Takaya, can you manage to cook dinner for you and Dad?" Shizuku asked. The boy nodded seriously before Shizuku began squabbling with her father again. Yamaken's eyes watched the little boy with a curious glint before he turned back toward the doorway. There was no one else there. Even earlier that morning, it had only been the father and her brother. He couldn't help but wonder...

"I taught you how to calculate maximum profit already! Even Takaya knows how to do it!" Shizuku snapped, her fists slamming irritably on the mattress.

Feeling uncomfortable amid the Mizutani family fight, Yamaken managed to stealthily slip out of the room and collapse onto a nearby hospital couch. Although he could not hear much of what was being said, he could already tell by the previous atmosphere that the fight was one-sided, and was being led to victory by Shizuku.

_How did I end up spending my Saturday here..._

Not long after, Shizuku's father and the boy—who Shizuku had referred to as Takaya—stepped out and escaped the building through the elevator. Yamaken cautiously rose to his feet and snuck a quick peek back into the room where Shizuku had already dove nose first into her books. She seemed to have recovered over her spat with her own father, but it seemed like it was something that their household had been used to. Yamaken knew very little of about the Mizutanis, and possessed curious itch that he wanted to relieve.

"Do you usually scold your father like that?" Yamaken had asked flatly, taking a seat as a nurse scurried into the room and placed a tray down. After instructing Shizuku to eat, she glanced at Yamaken and gushed, greeting him sweetly. Yamaken forced a smile and waved politely, sending the nurse bustling out of the room in a fit of giddy smiles. Once she disappeared from the room, Yamaken's smile dropped into something more serious and inquisitive as he watched Shizuku rummage through her books.

"My father has difficulties when it comes to his job and I simply keep him on track," she stated offhandedly, raising a book to quickly skim through its back pages.

Yamaken paused, unsure of whether to ask his burning question. Seeing as Shizuku seemed rather open about her family affairs, he decided to continue.

"What about your mother?"

Although it was very brief, Yamaken noticed the slight pause in her hand as soon as the words slipped out of his mouth. Shizuku quickly recovered and continued on scanning through her books, breezing by the hesitance as though it hadn't happened. "Oh, my mother... she's working," she mumbled, raising a book to her eyes.

"Ah, I see," Yamaken quickly set down the conversation with those three words, feeling as though he was beginning to tread into a territory that was not fit for someone like him. Still, his curiosity was looming over his reluctant lips, urging him to prod further. However, Yamaken knew he had reached a boundary that he wasn't meant to pass... at least not at that very moment.

Thoughts and lingering ideas began to cloud his mind as he thought about what kind of woman Shizuku's mother had been. Seeing her father, Shizuku hardly resembled the old man. _She must take after her mother,_ he thought, quickly taking a peek at the girl's face before turning away. He couldn't help but wonder if her mother worked as hard as Shizuku studied. _Maybe there is some sort of similarity there,_ he pondered, eyes distantly focused on the ground.

As well, could it be possible that Shizuku resented her mother for being away all the time?

_No, that wasn't anger on her face._

Yamaken snatched a book that he had left earlier with his bag—just another textbook from school to review. He laid it on his lap and caught a lingering expression on the girl's face that had been left behind from when he mentioned her mother. It was an expression that seemed foreign to her usually monotone facade. Shizuku rarely appeared passionate or vivid with emotion, but here she was with those creases between her brows. It was a sight that startled Yamaken, and it even forced him to look away to hide the shock that registered in his eyes.

_That's... that's sadness._

* * *

Heaving a silent sigh, Yamaken's focused eyes flicked up to the recovering patient who was more fixated on her textbooks rather than her own health. All of her books had been laid out in front of her, opened to various pages for easy access. Despite her diligence, she had yet to touch the lunch tray that had been set at her bedside over an hour ago. The blonde frowned at the bowl of soup that had lost its steamy goodness forty minutes earlier, staring at its distasteful lukewarm feel.

He frowned and glanced back at his textbook and with false nonchalance, asked, "Oi, shouldn't you finish your food, Mizutani?"

Shizuku, unfazed by the question and the abrupt gurgle of her stomach, shook her head. "I'm not hungry, and I need to finish reading this."

The spare book in his lap served as a reason to remain in the hospital room without sitting creepily for hours on end in front of the studybug. Yamaken was _not_ Haru. He could not act so cozily around Shizuku like they were best friends who were supposed to spend time together, like that loud girl who clung to her like a disease. He needed a purpose to stay. Logically, using her as someone to point him in the right direction for homework seemed the best route to take. True, he had lied about taking the history course that semester, which he took several months earlier. However, it'd only make it easier for him to indirectly guide her through her studies.

After some time, Yamaken rose to his feet and rested the book down at Shizuku's side, lifting her tray and nudging it into her arm. The girl glanced up at Yamaken with startled eyes, and then calmly averted them to the tray that was being held out in front of her. Her brow curved with confusion as she stared at the bowl. "I said I'm not hungry, Yamaken."

"Eat it," he ordered, digging the edge of the tray gently into her arm. She turned her attention back to him as though realizing something suddenly. The intensity of her eyes forced Yamaken to glance away, embarrassed without a cause. "Don't waste the food here!"

Shizuku nodded her head and curled her fingers around the edges of her meal, pausing momentarily to look at her selection. Yamaken's eyes lowered to where his fingers were, realizing they were only a hairline away from brushing against Shizuku's. "Take it," he muttered, his cheeks burning as he withdrew his hands hastily and tucked them away into his pockets.

Luckily for him, Yamaken's flare up went by unnoticed as the girl scooped spoonfuls of chilled soup to her lips. It was evident that she was panicked by her upcoming test seeing as she was placed at a disadvantage this time around. From the way she studied religiously, Yamaken felt as though she didn't believe she had enough time. Ten days was by far more than enough, but perhaps she was used to studying from day _one_...

"Hey," Yamaken called, his eyes narrowing as she speedily slurped down her soup. "Slow down or you'll end up—"

Just as he predicted, Shizuku released her spoon and slammed a fist into her chest as she began to choke. Yamaken sprung up, giving her a firm smack across back. "Idiot, I knew this would happen!" He yelled as the girl continued to wheeze for air, slipping into a fit of nasty coughs. "Damn it, are you okay?" He asked, his whacks coming to a halt. Shizuku extended a hand, shooing him away as though he had been the one to suffocate her.

"I—I'm fine!" She muttered, pushing her tray onto the stand again. After catching her breath, she placed the tray onto the table and glowered at Yamaken. "Tch, you almost killed me."

Yamaken's eyes narrowed and his fists clenched at his sides.

_Why, you little—you should be thanking me!_

"Idiot, I'm not the one who choked on her soup!"

"You're being a nuisance by distracting me while I study."

The two argued animatedly before both crossed their arms and stuck their noses into their books in silence. Absorbed in their fueling annoyance, it wasn't evident to either one that they had been mirroring one another's actions. Both students clutched at their own books, clenching their fingers which shook furiously. They even wore an identical scowl as they distractedly read their textbooks, not exactly able to focus on the content as they mentally raged on the other's inferiority and stupidity.

* * *

Evening eventually arrived and the two had yet to speak a single word to one another. Much to his dismay, Yamaken wasted a beautiful Saturday inside a hospital with the sourpuss, forced to pretend as though he was there by obligation.

His eyes narrowed bitterly at the wall before he closed his book, finally reaching a point of agony. He was not going to take another moment of aggravation in that tired, old, boring room!

Closing his book, he trained his stare away from Shizuku, refusing to look at the culprit of the whole mess.

"I'm heading off now, Mizutani," he muttered dryly, draping his jacket over his arm. "See you later, I guess."

Biting his tongue from snapping childishly, he peered over his shoulder to wave goodbye but was surprised once again to find something unexpected—Shizuku fell asleep! In some way, she had managed to drift into a peaceful slumber without making a sound. Her head was nestled into the stack of pillows that were propped her up, while her arms were rested limp at her sides. In the arm further away from Yamaken, Shizuku had been cradling one of her textbooks as though she had fallen asleep in the middle of reading it.

It was amazing that the woman who had been fiendishly retorting at him with her inexcusable dim sense of logic and lack of mannerism, was now serenely fast asleep, silent and calm. Yamaken frowned, a slight blush tinting his cheeks at the undeniably cute and juvenile appearance that Shizuku had taken on. Her cheeks were still quite feverishly pink, but not as bad as the first night he had brought her to the hospital.

Yamaken's chestnut eyes slowly moved over to the cluster of books guarding the girl's sleeping body. He sighed and stepped to her bedside, collecting the books one at a time and stacking them neatly on her nightstand.

The last book was tucked at her side—the one that she had been holding onto.

Yamaken rested his hand against the edge of the bed, carefully reaching over to retrieve the book as to not stir Shizuku from her slumber. The mattress groaned as he shifted his weight, dipping beneath his grasp, causing his hand to clumsily brush along her arm.

Kissing his teeth in annoyance, Yamaken frowned as Shizuku fidgeted below him. She suddenly rolled over onto her side, her arm slipping out from below the textbook to rest her hand upon his. Yamaken's face burned at the touch, his body frozen and incapable of moving. The only thing he could do was stare at Shizuku's misplaced hand, lying gently on his own.

Yamaken gulped nervously and swiped the remaining book, carefully adding it to the top of the pile.

_Okay,_ he thought, flustered. _I should get going... but..._

Jerking his hand, Shizuku merely grasped onto his tighter, her lips twitched with his every attempt to move.

_How the hell do I get out of here?!_

Yamaken frowned worriedly, unable to fathom what would happen if someone unexpected showed up at that time. Not only that, but the rate of his heartbeat had sky rocketed when she had reached out to him so suddenly... even if she did it in her subconscious.

Frowning, he took a seat with his hand frozen in spot on the bed. Tucking the chair closer, Yamaken made himself comfortable as he rested his other arm at the edge of her bed, watching the girl scowl and frown in her sleep.

_Huh,_ Yamaken stifled a chuckle at her face. _So she's the type to make faces..._

A touch of amusement cracked Yamaken's muddled expression, his face tilting to the side to watch Shizuku a little more closely.

"Nn..." The girl groaned restlessly, fidgeting slightly.

_Shit!_ Yamaken mentally cursed. _She's going to wake up and assume things and—_

Shizuku inhaled deeply, her chest filling with air before she continued to mumble, only more coherently this time around.

"Don't go..." she whimpered.

Yamaken's eyes widened at the weakness in her voice. There was vulnerability in her tone that he would never imagine belonged to Shizuku. It was almost defenceless and pleading... two things that did not strike him as the sort of person that the studybug was.

Shizuku turned her lips into the pillow, muttering what sounded like a name into the sheets.

Yamaken's heart suddenly took a dip, realizing what name she had been calling... the same one from the other night.

_Haru..._

Yamaken's fingers clenched, balling up into a fist as it trembled atop her bed. He snapped his eyes shut and withheld the urge to demand that she called for him instead... the guy who was sitting by her bed and tending to her every need. It seemed to get harder to compete with the idiot when she even called out to him in her sleep.

Shizuku sighed slowly, a single word escaping her lips as clear as day.

"... Mom..."

Eyes flashing wide open, Yamaken turned to look at the girl in shock. A glimmering bead formed at the corner of Shizuku's eye, running down her cheek to stain the pillow.

Yamaken knew that when people fell asleep while possessing a fever, it was possible for them to have vivid dreams or hallucinations. He felt Shizuku fell victim to such a case.

"Mom..." she whimpered again, another tear escaping the clutches of her lashes.

Her fingers tightened around Yamaken's, unwilling to release him from her grasp.

Out of all the surprises that day, this had been the greatest one. Even if it had not dealt with him directly, Yamaken suddenly felt like he was thrust into a side of Shizuku that had yet to be exposed to the world. He only wondered if Haru had seen such a part to her...

With a reddened, stern face, Yamaken gently brushed Shizuku's bangs away from her eyes and used the ends of his sleeves to dab her cheeks. She did not move beneath his touch, much to his relief. Extending his arm, he reached for her bed sheet and pulled it up to her shoulder their hands still touching beneath.

"Don't go." The two words were the last that Shizuku had sighed before dozing off into complete silence.

Yamaken propped his elbow up and rested his cheek against his hand. A serious, yet calm, face had painted over his usual cheeky, stiff look.

"Don't worry," he murmured. "I won't."

**END OF DAY 1**

**ANN:**

Yikes, it's been a while since I updated! Thank you to everyone who left me your kind critiques! They are motivating and I appreciate them!

I'm sorry for the late update... I had a lot of things going on in February. Several birthdays, a concert, Valentine's day, getting my wisdom teeth pulled out and a few other things but yeah... I've been trying to update this for a while now!

Don't think of me as dead yet! Haha!

Anyway, I hope you guys approve of this chapter!

I can't wait to see you guys later c:

Bye lovelies~!


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